PART 2.7. STATE HISTORICAL BUILDING CODE [18950. - 18962.]

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 2.7.
in effect

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18951. Section 18951.

It is the purpose of this part to provide alternative regulations and standards for the rehabilitation, preservation, restoration (including related reconstruction), or relocation of qualified historical buildings or structures, as defined in Section 18955. These alternative standards and regulations are intended to facilitate the rehabilitation, restoration, or change of occupancy so as to preserve their original or restored architectural elements and features, to encourage energy conservation and a cost-effective approach to preservation, and to provide for the safety of the building occupants.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18953. Section 18953.

It is the intent of this part to provide means for the preservation of the historical value of qualified historical buildings or structures and, concurrently, to provide reasonable safety from fire, seismic forces or other hazards for occupants of these buildings or structures, and to provide reasonable availability to and usability by, the disabled.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18954. Section 18954.

Repairs, alterations, and additions necessary for the preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, moving, or continued use of a qualified historical building or structure may be made if they conform to this part. The building department of every city or county or other local agency that has jurisdiction over the enforcement of code within its legal authority shall apply the alternative standards and regulations adopted pursuant to Section 18959.5 in permitting repairs, alterations, and additions necessary for the preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, safety, moving, or continued use of a qualified historical building or structure. A state agency shall apply the alternative regulations adopted pursuant to Section 18959.5 in permitting repairs, alterations, and additions necessary for the preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, safety, moving, or continued use of a qualified historical building or structure. The application of any alternative standards for the provision of access to the disabled or exemption from access requirements shall be done on a case-by-case and item-by-item basis, and shall not be applied to an entire qualified historical building or structure without individual consideration of each item, and shall not be applied to related sites or areas except on an item-by-item basis.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18955. Section 18955.

For the purposes of this part, a qualified historical building or structure is any structure or property, collection of structures, and their related sites deemed of importance to the history, architecture, or culture of an area by an appropriate local or state governmental jurisdiction. This shall include historical buildings or structures on existing or future national, state or local historical registers or official inventories, such as the National Register of Historic Places, State Historical Landmarks, State Points of Historical Interest, and city or county registers or inventories of historical or architecturally significant sites, places, historic districts, or landmarks. This shall also include places, locations, or sites identified on these historical registers or official inventories and deemed of importance to the history, architecture, or culture of an area by an appropriate local or state governmental jurisdiction.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18956. Section 18956.

The application of the provisions of Part 5.5 (commencing with Section 19955) of Division 13 of this code, Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 4450) of Division 5 of Title 1 of the Government Code, Division 15 (commencing with Section 25000) of the Public Resources Code, and of any other statute or regulation, as they may apply to qualified historical buildings or structures, shall be governed by this part.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18957. Section 18957.

Nothing in this part shall be construed to prevent authorized building or fire officials from the performance of their duties when in the process of protecting the public health, safety, and welfare.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18958. Section 18958.

Except as provided in Section 18930, the following state agencies, in addition to the State Historical Building Safety Board, shall have the authority to adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the State Historical Building Code governing the rehabilitation, preservation, restoration, related reconstruction, safety, or relocation of qualified historical buildings and structures within their jurisdiction: (a) The Division of the State Architect. (b) The State Fire Marshal. (c) The State Building Standards Commission, but only with respect to approval of building standards. (d) The Department of Housing and Community Development. (e) The Department of Transportation. (f) Other state agencies that may be affected by this part.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18959. Section 18959.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Part 2.5 (commencing with Section 18901), all state agencies shall administer and enforce this part with respect to qualified historical buildings or structures under their respective jurisdiction. (b) Except as otherwise provided in Part 2.5 (commencing with Section 18901), all local authorities shall, within their legal authority, administer and enforce this part with respect to qualified historical buildings or structures under their respective jurisdictions where applicable. (c) The State Historical Building Safety Board shall coordinate and consult with the other applicable state agencies affected by this part and, except as provided in Section 18943, disseminate provisions adopted pursuant to this part to all local building authorities and state agencies at cost. (d) Regulations adopted by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to this part shall be enforced in the same manner as regulations are enforced under Sections 13145, 13146, and 13146.5. (e) Regular and alternative building standards published in the California Building Standards Code shall be enforced in the same manner by the same governmental entities as provided by law. (f) When administering and enforcing this part, each local agency may make changes or modifications in the requirements contained in the California Historical Building Code, as described in Section 18944.7, as it determines are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, seismic, and topographical conditions. The local agency shall make an express finding that the modifications or changes are needed, and the finding shall be available as a public record. A copy of the finding and change or modification shall be filed with the State Historical Building Safety Board. No modification or change shall become effective or operative for any purpose until the finding and modification or change has been filed with the board.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18959.5. Section 18959.5.

Subject to the applicable provisions of Part 2.5 (commencing with Section 18901) of this division, the State Historical Building Safety Board shall adopt and submit alternative building standards for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 of this division and may adopt, amend, and repeal other alternative rules and regulations under this part which the board has recommended for adoption under subdivision (b) of Section 18960 by the State Architect or other appropriate state agencies.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18960. Section 18960.

(a) A State Historical Building Safety Board is hereby established as a unit within the Division of the State Architect. The board shall be composed of qualified experts in their respective fields who shall represent various state and local public agencies, professional design societies and building and preservation oriented organizations. (b) This board shall act as a consultant to the State Architect and to the other applicable state agencies for purposes of this part. The board shall recommend to the State Architect and the other applicable state agencies rules and regulations for adoption pursuant to this part. (c) The board shall also act as a review body to state and local agencies with respect to interpretations of this part as well as on matters of administration and enforcement of it. The board’s decisions shall be reported in printed form. (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 18945, if any local agency administering and enforcing this part or any person adversely affected by any regulation, rule, omission, interpretation, decision, or practice of this agency representing a building standard wishes to appeal the issue for resolution to the State Historical Building Safety Board, these parties may appeal to the board. The board may accept the appeal only if it determines that issues involved in the appeal have statewide significance. (2) The State Historical Building Safety Board shall, upon making a decision on an appeal pursuant to paragraph (1), send a copy to the State Building Standards Commission. (3) Requests for interpretation by local agencies of the provisions of this part may be accepted for review by the State Historical Building Safety Board. A copy of an interpretation decision shall be sent to the State Building Standards Commission in the same manner as paragraph (2). (4) The State Historical Building Safety Board may charge a reasonable fee, not to exceed the cost of the service, for requests for copies of their decisions and for requests for reviews by the board pursuant to paragraph (1) or (3). All funds collected pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited in the State Historical Building Code Fund, which is hereby established, for use by the State Historical Building Safety Board. The State Historical Building Code Fund and the fees collected therefor, and the budget of the State Historical Building Safety Board, shall be subject to annual appropriation in the Budget Act. (5) Local agencies may also charge reasonable fees not to exceed the cost for making an appeal pursuant to paragraph (1) to persons adversely affected as described in that appeal. (6) All other appeals involving building standards under this part shall be made as set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 18945. (d) The board shall be composed of representatives of state agencies and public and professional building design, construction, and preservation organizations experienced in dealing with historic buildings. Unless otherwise indicated, each named organization shall appoint its own representatives. Each of the following shall have one member on the board who shall serve without pay, but shall receive actual and necessary expenses incurred while serving on the board: (1) The Division of the State Architect. (2) The State Fire Marshal. (3) The State Historical Resources Commission. (4) The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. (5) California Council, American Institute of Architects. (6) Structural Engineers Association of California. (7) A mechanical engineer, Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California. (8) An electrical engineer, Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California. (9) California Council of Landscape Architects. (10) The Department of Housing and Community Development. (11) The Department of Parks and Recreation. (12) The California State Association of Counties. (13) League of California Cities. (14) The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. (15) The Department of Rehabilitation. (16) The California Chapter of the American Planning Association. (17) The Department of Transportation. (18) The California Preservation Foundation. (19) The Seismic Safety Commission. (20) The California Building Officials. (21) The Building Owners and Managers Association of California. The 21 members listed above shall select a building contractor as a member of the board, who shall serve without pay, but shall receive actual and necessary expenses incurred while serving on the board. Each of the appointing authorities shall appoint, in the same manner as for members, an alternate in addition to a member. The alternate member shall serve in place of the member at the meetings of the board that the member is unable to attend. The alternate shall have all of the authority that the member would have when the alternate is attending in the place of the member. The board may appoint, from time to time, as it deems necessary, consultants who shall serve without pay but shall receive actual and necessary expenses as approved by the board. (e) The term of membership on the board shall be for four years, with the State Architect’s representative serving continually until replaced. Vacancies on the board shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments. The board shall annually select a chairperson from among the members of the board.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18961. Section 18961.

All state agencies that enforce and administer approvals, variances, or appeals procedures or decisions affecting the preservation or safety of the historical aspects of qualified historical buildings or structures shall use the alternative provisions of this part and shall consult with the State Historical Building Safety Board to obtain its review prior to undertaking action or making decisions on variances or appeals that affect qualified historical buildings or structures.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18962. Section 18962.

(a) For a development project in which a designated historical resource is being converted or adapted, a local agency shall provide the following reductions in required parking, unless otherwise required by a local historical preservation or adaptive reuse ordinance: (1) For a project converting or adapting a designated historical resource to a residential use that is located within one-half mile of a major transit stop, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 21155 of the Public Resources Code, a local agency shall not require the project to provide parking spaces greater than the number of parking spaces that existed on the project site at the time the project application was submitted. (2) For a project converting or adapting a designated historical resource to a nonresidential use, a local agency shall provide a 25-percent reduction in the amount of parking spaces that would otherwise be required. (b) A development project in which a designated historical resource is being converted or adapted that is eligible for reductions in required parking pursuant to this section shall comply with all federal, state, and local alternative regulations and standards necessary for the preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, safety, relocation, or continued use of the designated historical resource. (c) For purposes of this section, “designated historical resource” means a structure or property officially designated on a local register of historical resources, the California Register of Historical Resources, or the National Register of Historic Places.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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